A Washington resident facing allegations of pretending to be a police officer was apprehended and officially charged with criminal impersonation.
This occurred when the individual purportedly portrayed himself as a law enforcement officer and responded to genuine police incidents.
Michael A. Scaletta-Teates, aged 49, showed up at a live police situation on September 5. He was dressed in body armor marked with POLICE and SWAT, and sported a metal police badge from Edmonds.
Additionally, he arrived in an unmarked vehicle equipped with blue lights. Police stated that Scaletta-Teates claimed to be an off-duty police detective from Edmonds.
Body camera recordings from the incident reveal that officers became doubtful of his identity when he arrived at a trespassing incident and a reported fire in a parking garage.
Scaletta-Teates reportedly informed officers that he had connections within the task force and stated that he handled parole and probation matters, as per the reports.
Police stated that following a subsequent inquiry, BPD officers discovered that the individual was not an Edmonds Police officer as initially thought.
Instead, he worked as a security guard for a local establishment and had been engaging in law enforcement activities in the downtown area.
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